Fire-alarm-telegraph apparatus



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J. W. STOVER.

FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

No. 451,902. Patented May 5,1891.

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UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE,

JOSEPH XV. STOVER, OF NEWTONVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FlRE-ALARM-TELEG RAPH APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,902, dated May 5, 1891. Application filed January 23, 1888. Serial No. 261,579. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. STOVER, of Newtonville, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Fire-Alarm-Telegraph Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to a signal box or transmitter adapted to be used in a fire-alarm-telegraph circuit to transmit a signal by alternately breaking and closing a circuit connecting the said instrument with suitable signal-receiving apparatus, which may be of usual construction.

The invention is embodied in a signal-box provided with means for starting or setting it in operation from one or more distant points on a local circuit connected with it and for insuring non-interference between the signals transmitted by various boxes on the main circuit.

The invention is shown embodied in a box of the kind commonly known as a sector box, in which the actuating spring or weight is rewound before each operation of the box. Boxes of this kind are usually wound at the time of sending a signal; but in the present invention the box is intended to be rewound as soon as convenient aftera signal has been transmitted, and is retained in its rewound condition by a detent until another signal is to be transmitted, when the detent will be operated to release the train of wheel-work or motor and permit it to transmit the signal. Certain portions of the novel devices are, however, applicable to boxes of the kind known as spring-boxes, in which one winding answers for a number of signals; and the invention, so far as relates to these features, is not limited to a box which is rewound after each transmitting operation.

The main features of novelty of the present invention relate to the devices for controlling the detent that governs the operation of the transmitter motor. The said detent is arranged to be operated by the usual hand-pull at the box and also by an electro-magnet and its armature included in a local circuit which may be extended to various points from which the signal-box'is to be operated, if required. A locking device is also provided for said detent, which locking device is controlled by an electro-magnet in the main circuit in such manner that when the main circuit is open the said locking device retains the detent in position to fasten the motor, so that the said detent cannot be operated either by the handpull or the local circuit while a signal is being transmitted from any other box on the main circuit. \Vhen, however, the main circuit is closed, the detent can be moved either by the hand-pull or local-circuit magnet, and a mechanical locking device is provided which retains the detent in the position to which it is moved by the hand-pull or localeircuit magnet during the time that the signal is being transmitted, and at the end of the transmission the motor operates said mechanical locking device for the detent, so that it permits the detent to move into the posi: tion to lock the motor. The local circuit is provided with a circuit-breaker which is normally retained closed while the box-motor is wound and retained in readiness to transmit the signal, but is opened as soon as the boxmotor is released, so that the local circuit can have no further effect after the box has been once released.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a signal-box embodying this invention, the inner box-door being shown as open, so as to expose the operative parts of the box as well as of the handpull which is on the inside of the door. Fig.

2 is an enlarged elevation of the detent and various devices co-operating therewith; Fig.

3, a detail showing the mechanical locking device for the detent and means for operating it, and Fig. at a plan view of the devices that control the detent.

The actuating-motor, consisting of a train of wheel-work driven by the toothed sector a, mounted on a shaft a and actuated by a weight or spring, (in this instance the weight c0 supported on the arm I), fastened to said shaft a,) may be of usual construction, the speed of said train being regulated by the governor c, co-operating with the escape-wheel c and one of the shafts, as a of the said motor carrying the break-wheel d of the signal circuit controller, that co-operates with springs cl',that form part of the main circuit connecting the box with the main or signalreceiving office.

In boxes of this kind as heretofore commonly used the actuator a is normally unwound and is wound at each operation of the box by the pull or hand lever c, pivoted at e on the box-door and provided with a movable engaging finger or pawl 6 that engages the portion 1) of the arm connected with the actuating-shaft a. With this arrangement the pull or detent-releasing arm occupies the same position when out of use, whether the motor is wound or unwound, and the act of sending a signal by an operator at the box is the samethat is, to send the signal in either case he will turn the lever c. If the motor is wound, this act merely releases the detent and allows the motor to operate to send a signal. If, on the other hand, the motor is unwound, said single act winds the motor and also moves the detent-lever out of engagement, so that when the pull is released by the operator the motor will run down, thereby sending a signal. This operation of the apparatus is due to the fact that the pulllever is operatively connected to the motorshaft-that is, so connected as to turn said shaft to wind the motor-when the motor is unwound, since in that condition the end I) of the winding-lever is directly in the path of movement of the pawl c on the pull-lever; but the pull-lever is not thus operatively connected when the motor is wound, because I) is then beyond the range of movement of pawl c, as will be evident from the drawings. The pull-lever is, however, operatively connected with the detent devices when in its normal position, whether the motor is wound or unwound, so that the detent is operated by every movement of the pull-lever. The pull-arm e is on the inner door of the box, which inner door is not opened in the normal operation of the apparatus, and when closed the pivot e is in line with the shaft ct, so that the arm e turns concentrically with the arm I), and the said arm e is provided with a finger hook or projection extending through to the outer side of the door, so that the said arm can be moved by the operator without opening the said door or having access to the operative parts within it. Boxes of this kind usually remain normally with the motor-actuator run down, and the said actuator is merely wound and immediately released when a signal is to be given, the motor having no detent or stopping devices, but simply running until the actuator has completed the movement within the limits provided for it. In the present invention, however, the box is set and normally kept with the motor-actuator wound up, this being done by a properlyauthorized person, who opens the inner door of the box and winds the same by turning the lever b by hand. hen the actuator for the box-motor has been thus wound, it is retained by a detent in the proper position to actuate the motor when released, so that the box can be operated from a distant point without applying the power required to wind the motor. As shown in this instance, one member of this detent is carried by the escape-wheel c, and consists of a stop pin or projection f thereon, (clearly shown in Fig. 2,) and the other member consists of a shoulder or projection f, carried upon an arm or lever f pivoted at f and provided with or composed in part of an armature g for an electromagnet 72, included in a local circuit extended to the various points at which it is desired to provide means for, operating the signal-box.

The movable member f and its supportingarm f which will for convenience behereinafter called the detent, may be operated by the attraction of the local-circuit magnet h to release the motor, or may be operated by the hand-pull lever e in the following manner: The said lever is provided with a pin or projection 1 (shown in its normal position in dotted lines, Fig. 2,) which, when the pull-lever e is in its normal position, acts upon a spring 1', connected at i with the door of the box and tending by its elasticity to assume the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, but being held by the pin i inthe position shown in full lines, Fig. l, and in dotted lines, Fig. 2. When the lever c is depressed, the pin or extension i permits the spring t" to move from the full to the dotted line position, Fig. 1, and this movement, when the door is closed, brings the said spring into engagement with a projectionf from the detent-arm f as will be understood from Fig. 2, in which the direction of movement of the spring 2'- is indicated by the arrow. The action of the spring on the detent-arm disengages the detent from the motor, which is then permitted to run.

In order to prevent the detent from engaging the motor again while it is running, a mechanical locking device is provided, consisting of an arm pivoted at k on the frame-work and provided with a shoulder or hook at its end that engages the projection f of the detent, as shown in full lines, Fig. 3, and re tains the detent in the position to which it was moved when it released the motor. The lock retains the detent locked during the entire running of the motor; but just before the motor has caused the break-wheel to make the entire number of complete rotations the arm on, connected with the shaft a, engages the hook 7c and raises it to the dotted-line position, Fig. 3, thus releasing the detent, which will engage the stop-pin f at the end of the next rotation of the escape-wheel, and thus arrest the motor with the break-wheel (Z in the proper position with relation to the springs d.

In order to prevent the box from being started while another signal is being transmitted over the same main circuit including the springs 01' of the break-wheel, a non-interference locking device 0 is also provided for the detent, consisting of an arm provided TIO at its end with an engaging shoulder or hook co-operating with the projection f of the detent, said arm being connected with an armature 0 for an electro-magnet p included in the main circuit. The armature o and connected arm 0 arepivoted at 0 so that when the magnet 13 is energized the engaging shoulder of the arm 0 will be raised from the path of movement of the projection f of the detent, as shown in Fig. 1, and will not interfere with the free movement of the detent. hen, however, the main circuit is broken and the magnet 19 demagnetized, as is the case during the greater portion of the transmission of a signal, the arm 0 will be dropped, as shown in Fig. 2, so that its engaging shoulder is in the path of movement of the projectionf for the detent, and thus prevents the detent from being moved to unlock the motor, either by the local-circuit magnet h or by the spring t forming part of the hand starting device.

In order to guard against the raising of the lock 0 during one of the momentary closures of the circuit forming part of the signal in case the local circuit of the magnet his closed while the signal is being transmitted from some other box than the one controlled by the said local circuit, the engaging shoulder of the hook 0 is undercut, as shown in Fig. 4, so that if pressure is applied to the detent-lever in the direction to release the detent either by the magnet 71 or the spring 2" such pressure will act as a lock to retain the locking de-' vice 0 in engagement with the projection f, so that the said lock cannot be raised by the energizing of the magnet 19; but if there is no tendency to disengage the detentthat is, no pressure exerted on it, either by the magnet 77. or spring i-the attraction of the magnet 19 will be able to raise the locking device 0. hen the box has been once operated, the mere movement of the detent will not be sufficient to cause a second operation, and consequently a second alarm cannot be produced by the action of an operater at the closing-point of the local circuit; but the box can then be rewound and operated by the hand-pull in the usual manner, as the spring twill throwthe detent out of engagement when the pull-lever e is depressed to wind the motor, and the lock 76 will retain it out of engagement after the pull-lever returns to its normal position until the motor has run down.

After a fire-alarm has been given the box will be reset by a properly-authorized person, who will open the inner door and wind the box by turning the lever 12 b by hand, after which the inner box-door will be closed and the box will be in readiness to send the signal when released either by the local circuit magnet or spring 1",.when permitted by the depression of the hand-pull, and said signal can be repeated as many times as required by the use of the hand-pull, although it cannot be repeated from the local circuit until the box has been properly set, as just described. The local circuit is shown as connected at 2 with one terminal of the magnet h, the other terminal of which is connected by wire 3 with one member of a circuitcloser r, the other member of which is connected with wire 4,that constitutes the other terminal of the local circuit. The circuitbreakcr r is operated by the arm m, connected with the shaft a of the motor, which arm retains the said circuit-breaker closed and the local circuit consequently in operative condition aslong as the box remains in its normal wound condition. WVhen, however, the motor has once been released and begun to transmit the signal, the arm 1% immediately moves away from the circuitbreaker, permitting the two members to separate, and thus open the local circuit, so that no further effect can be produced by an operator at any point on the local circuit.

The main circuit over which the boxtransmits the signal is represented. by the dotted line entering the box at 5 and being connected with one terminal of the magnet 19, the other terminal of which is connected by wire 6 with one of the springs cl, controlled by the breakwheel, the other of said springs being connected with wire 7, leading out from the box in the usual manner.

I claim-- 1. The combination of a signal-box motor and a detent controlling the operation thereof with an actuating electro-magnet for said detent, a local circuit therefor, an electro-magnet in the main circuit of the box, and an armature therefor that controls the operation of said detent, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a signal-box, of a signal-circuit controller, a motor therefor, a detent for the motor, a pull having an opera tive connection with the motor for winding it when it is unwound, but not having such operative connection when the motor is wound, and an operative connection between said pull and said detent, whereby the motor is also released by movement of the pull, substantially as described.

3. The combinaton, in a signal-box, of a signal-circuit controller, a motor therefor, a

detent for themotor, a pull having an operative connection with the motor for winding it when it is unwound, but not having such operative connection when the motoris wound, an operative connection between said pull and said detent, whereby the motor is also released by movement of the pull, and means for winding the motor without releasing the detent, whereby the motor may be left set, substantially as described.

4. The combinatiomin a signal-box, 'of a signal-circuit controller, a motor therefor, a detent for the motor, a pull having an operative connection with the motor for winding it when it is unwound, but not having such operative connection when themotoris wound, an operative connection between said pull ITO and said detent, whereby the motor is also released by movement of the pull, means for winding the motor without releasing the detent, whereby the motor may be left set, and means independent of the pull for releasing the detent, substantially as described.

5. The combination,in a signal-box, of a signal-circuit controller, a motor therefor, a detent for the motor, a pull having an operative connection with the motor for winding it when it is unwound, but not having such operative connectionwhen the motor is wound, an operative connection between said pull and said detent, whereby the motor is also released by movement of the pull, means for winding the motor without releasing the detent, whereby the motor may be left set, and a magnet and armature operatingon the de tent to release it independently of the pull, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a signal-box motor and detent therefor with an electro-magnet in the main circuit of the box and armaturetherefor that controls the said detent, and a lock movable independently of the movement of the motor that engages the said detent when moved to release the motor, and thereby prevents re-engagement of the detent while the motor is running.

7. The combination of a signal-box motor provided with an actuator and winding-arm by which said actuator is Wound for one operation of the box, a detent that arrests the movement of the motor, a lock for said detent that engages and holds the same when moved to release the motor and which is independent of the engaging members of said detent, and a part carried by said motor that engages the said lock and operates it to release the detent just before the motor completes its operation, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.TOS. XV. S'IOVER.

\Vitnesses:

Jos. P. LIVERMORE, H. E. HILL. 

